Departure time decides the climb
The road drives differently at 7.00 and at 17.00. The lower section, between the A8 and the Mescla bridge, absorbs the Var plain commuter traffic at both peaks of the day. Above it, the M2205 becomes a valley road: one lane each way, tunnels, villages to cross, and no way to make up lost time.
Hence a simple rule that every driver on this climb applies. You leave before the peak, or you leave after it. A 16.30 departure puts the car in the worst window of both sections, one after the other.
Five free car parks, no covered structure
The tourist office lists five car parks, all free: Pistes, Riou, Salle Rovery, lower Chastellarès and Piscine. None is covered, and the official page publishes neither capacity nor a height limit.
That is good news for a van. Where other resorts force you to measure a roof box before entering an underground structure, the question does not arise here: drop-off and parking are at ground level. We claim nothing beyond that, because no official source documents vehicle dimensions in the resort.
The village below, and its gondola
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, at 1,140 metres, is the parent commune of the ski resort. The village is linked straight to the ski area by the Pinatelle gondola. For accommodation in the village, the drop-off happens down there, at the foot of the lift, without driving the last stretch.
What the fare covers, by sedan as by van: tolls, fuel, parking and the journey time, whatever it turns out to be. What they do not cover: lift passes, equipment, and any extra pick-up not declared at booking. The fare is fixed when you book. It does not move afterwards.